From its rise in the 1930s, powered by the labor of poor southerners, to its decline in a global market, the story of the
southern textile industry exemplifies the goal of the interviews collected here: to capture the character of southern industry before
accelerating economic change forever alters its identity. The interviews in this collection come from a variety of oral history
projects that chronicle changes in industry and the lives of those tied to it. Like a Family gathered the stories of cotton mill
people who, by the turn of the century, were leaving their rural communities to join mill towns, where families worked, lived, and in
the midst of the Great Depression, held protests to demand change. The North Carolina Business History and Piedmont Industrialization
interview series traces the evolution of North Carolina's economy since World War II, by examining the transformation of the state's
traditional industries (agriculture, tobacco manufacturing, furniture, textiles, insurance) and the emergence of "new" industries
(banking and financial services, high technology, agribusiness, utilities). The Rural Electrification series reveals how the spread
of technology changed life inside the home. Together, these collections tell a story of past and present, dusty cotton mills and
towering high rises, hard work and hard choices.

Eula McGill, February 3, 1976. Interview G-0040-1.
A Southern Woman Becomes a Leader in the Labor Movement: Part I:
Eula McGill grew up in Sugar Valley, Georgia, during the early twentieth century. Raised in a working class family, McGill had to leave school because of her family's economic hardships and began to work in a textile mill as a spinner at the age of 14. By the late 1920s, McGill had moved to Alabama, where she became a leader in the labor movement in Selma. Throughout the Great Depression, McGill primarily worked as a labor organizer, first for the Women's Trade Union League and later for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union.Interviewee:Eula McGillInterviewer:Jacquelyn HallDuration: 03:49:44
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 11 excerpts.

22.

Eula McGill, September 5, 1976. Interview G-0040-2.
A Southern Woman Becomes a Leader in the Labor Movement: Part II:
Southern labor organizer Eula McGill explains her views on leadership in the labor movement and the role of workers' education. After rising through the ranks of the labor movement during the Great Depression, McGill continued to work actively to organize workers from the 1940s to the 1970s. She describes in detail various labor campaigns and strikes in the South, as well as her work with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union and other labor organizations.Interviewee:Eula McGillInterviewer:Jacquelyn HallDuration: 02:13:11
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 8 excerpts.

23.

Carroll Lupton, April 2, 1980. Interview H-0028.
A North Carolina Doctor Describes Practicing Medicine in a Mill Town:
North Carolina doctor Carroll Lupton recalls his days practicing medicine in the mill town of Burlington, North Carolina. Focusing primarily on the 1930s, Lupton talks about providing medical care to poor mill workers. Lupton emphasizes medical treatment for pregnant women, treatment of venereal disease, and popular medical remedies of the day.Interviewee:Carroll LuptonInterviewer:Mary MurphyDuration: 01:08:25
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.

Flake and Nellie Meyers, August 11, 1979. Interview H-0133.
A Southern Husband and Wife Describe Life and Working Conditions:
Flake and Nellie Meyers describe what it was like to live and work in and around Conover, North Carolina, during the early to mid-twentieth century. As a worker in various furniture companies and as the foreman at the Southern Desk Company, Flake Meyers describes in vivid detail the various kinds of skills involved in furniture making, the role of machinery in the industry, and workplace relationships. Nellie Meyers similarly describes the kinds of family labor systems and social customs that shaped their lives.Interviewee:Flake Meyers, Nellie MeyersInterviewer:Patty DilleyDuration: 01:59:28
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 10 excerpts.

Julius Fry, August 19, 1974. Interview E-0004.
North Carolina Textile Mill Worker and Labor Activist Describes the Formation of a Union in Lumberton, North Carolina:
Julius Fry was a textile worker for Mansfield Mill in Lumberton, North Carolina from 1927 to 1943. During the early years of the Great Depression, Fry was increasingly drawn to labor activism, especially after the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the rise of the New Deal. Fry describes what it was like to work at the Mansfield Mill, the organization of a union in Lumberton, and his own role within the labor movement in the South.Interviewee:Julius FryInterviewer:William FingerDuration: 01:31:31
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 8 excerpts.

29.

Cary J. Allen Jr., April 3, 1980. Interview H-0001.
The Creation of a Local Union for Aluminum Workers in North Carolina:
Cary Joseph Allen Jr. an aluminum worker for Alcoa in Badin, North Carolina, describes the establishment of a local branch of the Aluminum Workers of America in the mid-1930s. Initial efforts at organization were hampered by the strong paternalistic influence Alcoa exerted over the community, yet efforts to unionize succeeded by 1937.Interviewee:Cary J. AllenInterviewer:Rosemarie HesterDuration: 01:00:13
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.

30.

Carlee Drye, April 2, 1980. Interview H-0005.
Retired Union President Discusses Efforts at Hiring More African Americans at Alcoa:
Carlee Drye was a founding member of the local union for aluminum workers in Badin, North Carolina, which later merged with the Steel Workers of America. Drye served as president of the local in the 1950s, during which time he worked actively to change policies of racial discrimination in the Alcoa aluminum plant. He retired from the plant and from the union in 1970s. He speculates about relations between the union, the community, and Alcoa following his retirement.Interviewee:Carlee DryeInterviewer:Rosemarie Hester, George HoltDuration: 02:01:06
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 6 excerpts.

Miriam Bonner Camp, April 15, 1976. Interview G-0013.
A Southern Woman Describes Academia and Workers Education Programs in the Early Twentieth Century:
Miriam Bonner Camp describes growing up in Washington, North Carolina, in the early twentieth century, focusing specifically on her mother's strong influence, opportunities for women in the community, and race relations. She moved to California in 1909, and received degrees in English education from Berkeley. She describes coeducational life in college, her experiences teaching at North Carolina College for Women in the 1920s, and her involvement in the women worker education programs in the late 1920s and early 1930s.Interviewee:Miriam Bonner CampInterviewer:Mary FredericksonDuration: Unknown
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 9 excerpts.

Thomas Henderson, October 28, 1999. Interview K-0228.
A Tobacco Buyer Describes the North Carolina Tobacco Industry in the 1930s and 1940s:
Thomas Henderson was born in Brookneal, Virginia, a small, tobacco farming community. He later became a tobacco buyer in Greenville, North Carolina. Focusing on the tobacco industry in the 1930s and 1940s, Henderson explains the establishment of gradation policies for the tobacco industry as a New Deal reform measure, the process of buying and selling tobacco at auction, and changes in tobacco farming.Interviewee:Thomas HendersonInterviewer:Charles Thompson, Charles ThompsonDuration: 01:56:22
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 10 excerpts.

Edward L. Gruber, November 11, 1985. Interview C-0136.
Owner and Director of Spring City Mills Describes Business Partnership with North Carolina Senator and Textiles Businessman B. Everett Jordan:
Edward Gruber ran Spring City Mills, his family's Pennsylvania-based underwear manufacturing company, for several decades beginning in the 1930s. He explains the expansion of the company; its relationship with department store chains; his efforts to maximize profits by producing a superior, yet affordable, product; and his personal and working relationship with North Carolina Senator and textiles businessman B. Everett Jordan.Interviewee:Edward L. GruberInterviewer:Ben BullaDuration: 02:48:48
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.

39.

Roger Gant, July 17, 1987. Interview C-0127.
The Business and Political Expertise of Everett Jordan:
Roger Gant explains the professional and personal activities of his father-in-law, Everett Jordan, Democratic United States Senator from North Carolina. Gant discusses how he became involved with Jordan's textile mill and how Jordan structured his business. Jordan's skill at relating to people helped him in business and in politics. Gant focuses on a few of Jordan's political successes, including the way he helped Lyndon Johnson before his presidential bid.Interviewee:Roger GantInterviewer:Ben BullaDuration: 01:35:27
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 10 excerpts.

40.

Lloyd E. Griffin, August 20, 1982. Interview C-0135.
North Carolina Lawyer Describes His Views on the North Carolina Citizens Association and on the Leadership of B. Everett Jordan:
Lloyd Griffin was a lawyer who was born and raised in Belvedere, North Carolina. Following his service in World War I, Griffin returned to North Carolina and became involved in state politics. He describes his involvement in the North Carolina Citizens Association and his perception of North Carolina politics, focusing specifically on the leadership of B. Everett Jordan.Interviewee:Lloyd E. GriffinInterviewer:Ben BullaDuration: 01:06:25
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 4 excerpts.

41.

Horace Kornegay, January 11, 1989. Interview C-0165.
North Carolina Democratic Congressman Describes State Politics in the 1960s:
Horace Kornegay was born and raised in North Carolina. He practiced law and became involved in local and state politics during the 1950s. In 1960, Kornegay was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives, where he worked closely with North Carolina Senator B. Everett Jordan to promote the interests of North Carolina textiles, tobacco, and furniture industries.Interviewee:Horace KornegayInterviewer:Ben BullaDuration: 01:40:56
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.

Phillips Russell, November 18, 1974. Interview B-0011-3.
Southern Writer Describes His Part in Worker Education Programs During the 1930s and 1940s:
Southern writer and University of North Carolina professor Charles Phillips Russell describes his participation as a teacher in worker education programs during the 1930s and 1940s. Focusing specifically on the Southern Summer School for Workers and the Black Mountain College Institute of the Textile Workers of America, Russell compares the role of faculty, the role of students, and the curriculum at each institution. In addition, he speculates on schools of thought endorsing political action and economic action within the labor movement, specifically as they related to worker education.Interviewee:Phillips RussellInterviewer:Mary FredericksonDuration: 01:03:34
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 4 excerpts.

45.

Alester G. Furman Jr., January 6, 1976. Interview B-0019.
Southern Businessman Describes His Family's Involvement in the Textile Industry and Higher Education in Greenville, South Carolina:
Alester G. Furman Jr. describes his family's involvement in the founding of Furman University in the early 1800s, his father's role in the establishment of the textile industry in Greenville, South Carolina, and the evolution of the textile industry over the course of the early twentieth century.Interviewee:Alester G. FurmanInterviewer:Brent GlassDuration: 02:24:13
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 7 excerpts.

46.

Broadus Mitchell, August 14 and 15, 1977. Interview B-0024.
An Economic Historian From the South Describes His Participation in Leftist Politics During the First Half of the Twentieth Century:
John Broadus Mitchell grew up in a family that held to liberal politics and believed in community involvement. Educated as an economic historian, Mitchell conducted extensive research on the establishment of the cotton textile industry in the South following the Civil War. In the 1920s and 1930s, he advocated for labor rights, spoke out against racial violence, and socialist politics.Interviewee:Broadus MitchellInterviewer:Mary FredericksonDuration: 03:53:51
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 11 excerpts.

47.

Ernest Seeman, February 13, 1976. Interview B-0012.
Southern Printer and Writer Describes Life in Durham, North Carolina, During the Rise of the Tobacco Industry:
Ernest Seeman offers a critical assessment of life in Durham, North Carolina, during the late nineteenth century. Seeman spent his early career as a printer, first as his father's apprentice and later as sole proprietor of the Seeman Printery, and he discusses interactions between his family and the Duke family. In addition, Seeman explains his increasing radicalization as head of the Duke Press from 1925 to 1934, and briefly discusses his decision to become a writer in later years.Interviewee:Ernest SeemanInterviewer:Mimi ConwayDuration: 02:44:21
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 9 excerpts.

Howard Kester, August 25, 1974. Interview B-0007-2.
Southern Socialist and Christian Activist Discusses Civil Rights and Labor Activism During the 1930s and 1940s:
Socialist and Christian activist Howard Kester describes his work in various organizations committed to social justice in the South during the 1930s and 1940s. In particular, Kester focuses on his work in promoting equality for African Americans and working people in the South, including his efforts to bridge gaps between those two groups.Interviewee:Howard KesterInterviewer:Mary FredericksonDuration: 01:35:38
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 6 excerpts.

Josephine Glenn, June 27, 1977. Interview H-0022.
Around Burlington: Josephine Glenn's Experiences in the Mills of Alamance County, North Carolina:
During the course of her career, Josephine Glenn worked in several mills around Burlington, North Carolina, allowing her to compare the textile factories in Burlington and their various working environments. She covers many topics, including wartime production, the end of segregation, and the changing roles of women in the factories.Interviewee:Josephine GlennInterviewer:Cliff Kuhn, Cliff KuhnDuration: 01:02:08
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 14 excerpts.

59.

Jean Cole Hatcher, June 13, 1980. Interview H-0165.
The Cole Manufacturing Company and Industrial Development in Charlotte, North Carolina:
Jean Cole Hatcher became president of Cole Manufacturing Company, her family's business, in 1953. Hatcher describes her family's history in the Piedmont, the establishment and evolution of the Cole Manufacturing Company in the industry of agricultural technology, and she illuminates life in Charlotte, North Carolina—both for workers and as an economic center of industry.Interviewee:Jean Cole HatcherInterviewer:Allen TullosDuration: 01:22:33
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 6 excerpts.

Wilbur Hobby, March 13, 1975. Interview E-0006.
Southern Tobacco Worker Describes His Involvement in the Labor Movement and Politics:
Wilbur Hobby describes growing up impoverished in Durham, North Carolina, during the Great Depression and his eventual involvement in the labor movement. Employed by the American Tobacco Company after World War II, he became an active member of the union and eventually became a leader in such organizations as the Voters for Better Government and the Committee on Political Education.Interviewee:Wilbur HobbyInterviewer:William FingerDuration: 01:28:53
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.

72.

Joseph D. Pedigo, April 2, 1975. Interview E-0011-1.
Labor Organizer Describes Unionization of Textile Mills During the 1930s and 1940s:
Joseph Pedigo was an active participant and leader in the labor movement among textile workers in the South during the 1930s and 1940s. In this interview, he describes his role in the formation of a local union at American Viscose in Roanoke, Virginia, and his work with the Textile Workers Union of America towards organizing textile workers throughout the South.Interviewee:Joseph D. PedigoInterviewer:William FingerDuration: 02:05:37
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 10 excerpts.

73.

Scott Hoyman, July 16, 1974. Interview E-0010.
Textile Workers Union of America Bargainer Describes His Work in the South during the 1950s and 1960s:
Scott Hoyman worked as an organizer and bargainer for the Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA). In the 1950s, he was transferred to the South, where he was primarily based in North Carolina, following the Baldanzi-Rieve split in the TWUA. He describes his work during the 1950s and 1960s, focusing primarily on obstacles the TWUA faced in organizing southern textile mills during these years.Interviewee:Scott HoymanInterviewer:William FingerDuration: 02:06:52
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.

Lacy Wright, March 10, 1975. Interview E-0017.
Southern Worker Describes Life's Work in the Textile Mills and His Thoughts on the Labor Movement:
Lacy Wright worked for Cone Mills in Greensboro, North Carolina, for nearly fifty years, from the late 1910s at the age of twelve to the mid-1960s. He describes work in the textile industry, life in the mill villages, and the role of the labor movement in the southern textile industry during a large stretch of the twentieth century.Interviewee:Lacy WrightInterviewer:William Finger, Chip HughesDuration: 01:34:44
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 9 excerpts.

76.

John Russell, July 25, 1974. Interview E-0014-2.
Organizer for the Fur and Leather Workers Union Describes the Events Leading to the Merger with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union:
John Russell describes the events leading to the merger of the Fur and Leather Workers Union with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters in 1955. Russell focuses on the progressive political views of the Fur and Leather Workers, their strong regional presence in the South, the role of leaders within their trade union movement, and the aftermath of the merger.Interviewee:John RussellInterviewer:William FingerDuration: 01:18:50
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 7 excerpts.

77.

John Russell, July 19, 1975. Interview E-0014-3.
Radical Labor Activist Describes His Work With the Amalgamated Meat Cutters in the South and the Changing Nature of the Labor Movement:
John Russell describes his work as an international representative and organizer for the Amalgamated Meat Workers Union following its merger with the Fur and Leather Workers Union in 1955. Russell discusses the limitations and opportunities that resulted from this merger, his work organizing poultry workers, and his thoughts on the changing nature of the labor movement.Interviewee:John RussellInterviewer:William FingerDuration: 01:34:50
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 7 excerpts.

Clyde Cook, July 10, 1977. Interview H-0003.
African American Worker Describes Social and Economic Inequalities:
Clyde Cook describes life and work for African Americans in Badin, North Carolina. Discussing such topics as school segregation, racial hierarchies in the workplace, and the lack of job opportunities, Cook offers insight into social and economic inequalities in a southern working community.Interviewee:Clyde CookInterviewer:Rosemarie HesterDuration: 00:58:44
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.

Jim Pierce, July 16, 1974. Interview E-0012-3.
Southern Labor Organizer Describes his View of the Movement During the Mid-Twentieth Century:
Jim Pierce first learned about the labor movement while growing up in Oklahoma during the 1930s. By the late 1940s, he had become a leader in his local union at Western Electric in Fort Worth, Texas. During the 1950s and 1960s, he organized unions for the CIO, the IUE, and the IUD. He describes his belief in labor activism but also his growing disillusionment with the movement by the end of the 1960s.Interviewee:Jim PierceInterviewer:William FingerDuration: 02:04:47
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 12 excerpts.

92.

Clay East, September 22, 1973. Interview E-0003.
Founding Member of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union Discusses Socialism and Organized Labor:
Clay East was a founding member of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. In this interview, he describes life in Tyronza, Arkansas, during the 1920s and 1930s; his conversion to socialism; his observation of the problems of tenant farmers and sharecroppers; and his role in the formation of the union during the early 1930s.Interviewee:Clay EastInterviewer:Sue ThrasherDuration: 03:44:22
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 13 excerpts.

Lawrence Rogin, November 2, 1975. Interview E-0013.
Labor Activist Discusses Radical Politics, Organizing Hosiery Workers in the South, and Labor Education:
Lawrence Rogin grew up in the Northeast in an immigrant family inclined toward radical politics. In the 1930s, Rogin became actively involved in the labor movement. In this interview, he describes his work in labor education, focusing specifically on the Brookwood Labor College, the Central Labor Union, and his work with the Hosiery Workers Union in the South.Interviewee:Lawrence RoginInterviewer:William FingerDuration: 02:26:38
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 9 excerpts.

Mareda Sigmon Cobb and Carrie Sigmon Yelton, June 16 and 18, 1979. Interview H-0115.
Workers and Witnesses: How Mareda Sigmon Cobb and Carrie Sigmon Yelton Saw the Southern Cotton Mills:
Mareda Sigmon Cobb and her sister Carrie Sigmon Yelton both worked long careers in North Carolina textile mills, completing the family journey from farm to factory in the early decades of the twentieth century. Here they describe their family lives both as children and parents, the many implications of the Depression, working conditions in the mills, religion, and other themes central to social and labor history. The economic and material realities of textile employment are explored in detail; each suffered a major injury on the job, neither favored unionization (though their husbands did), and neither received a pension.Interviewee:Mareda Sigmon Cobb, Carrie Sigmon YeltonInterviewer:Jacquelyn Hall, Patty DilleyDuration: 03:50:12
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 36 excerpts.

Edna Y. Hargett, July 19, 1979. Interview H-0163.
Southern Woman Describes Life and Work in Charlotte, North Carolina:
Edna Yandell Hargett describes life and work in North Charlotte, a mill village in Charlotte, North Carolina. Focusing primarily on the 1920s through the 1940s, Hargett discusses her work as a weaver in North Charlotte textile mills. In addition, she explains in detail how textile mill workers functioned like "one big family" both at work and in the community.Interviewee:Edna Y. HargettInterviewer:Jim LeloudisDuration: 02:01:38
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 13 excerpts.

Walt Ulmer, November 20, 1998. Interview S-0034.
Former President of the Center for Creative Leadership Discusses the Organization's Rapid Growth in the 1980s and 1990s:
Walter F. Ulmer Jr. served as the president for the Center for Creative Leadership, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, from 1985 to 1995. In this interview, Ulmer discusses various changes the Center underwent during his tenure, focusing primarily on the Center's rapid economic and geographic growth.Interviewee:Walt UlmerInterviewer:Joseph MosnierDuration: 01:38:51
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 6 excerpts.

Stan Gryskiewicz, November 5, 1998. Interview S-0016.
Center for Creative Leadership Psychologist Describes His Work During the Organization's Formative Years:
Stan Gryskiewicz worked as a psychologist for the Center for Creative Leadership from its inception in 1970. In this interview (the first of two), Gryskiewicz describes his background in psychology, his initial duties with the Center during the 1970s, the Center's 1973 managerial reorganization, his perception of various leaders within the Center, and his research in creative leadership development.Interviewee:Stan GryskiewiczInterviewer:Joseph MosnierDuration: 01:35:20
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.

131.

Stan Gryskiewicz, January 15, 1999. Interview S-0017.
New Directions for the Center for Creative Leadership:
Stan Gryskiewicz worked as a psychologist for the Center for Creative Leadership beginning with its inception in 1970. In this interview (the second of two), Gryskiewicz describes the Center's development in creativity leadership programs and marketing, its evolution and gradual globalization from the 1970s into the 1990s, and the role of various leaders of the organization.Interviewee:Stan GryskiewiczInterviewer:Joseph MosnierDuration: 02:03:09
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 6 excerpts.

G. Sherwood Stewart, September 21, 2002. Interview R-0194.
Tobacco Auctioneer Describes His Craft and the Role of Auctioneering in the Tobacco Industry:
G. Sherwood Stewart grew up in Smithfield, North Carolina, during 1940s and 1950s. The son of a tenant tobacco farmer, Stewart determined at any early age to become a tobacco auctioneer. By the time he was in his late teens, Stewart was honing a unique auctioneering style and had begun to establish a formidable reputation as a successful auctioneer throughout the Southeast. In this interview, he offers an insider's perspective—based on several decades of experience—regarding the unique role of the auctioneer to the tobacco industry.Interviewee:G. Sherwood StewartInterviewer:Sally PetersonDuration: 01:04:51
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 5 excerpts.

Lawrence Ridgle, June 3, 1999. Interview K-0143.
Urban Renewal and Division in the African American Community in Durham, North Carolina:
Lawrence Ridgle describes his childhood in Durham, North Carolina, during the 1930s and his belief that urban renewal of the 1960s and 1970s ultimately worked to the detriment of African Americans. In this interview—the first of two—he emphasizes the changing nature of the African American community in Durham during his lifetime.Interviewee:Lawrence RidgleInterviewer:Alicia RouverolDuration: 01:03:50
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 4 excerpts.

144.

Lawrence Ridgle, June 9, 1999. Interview K-0144.
Demographic Changes and Challenges in Durham, North Carolina:
Lawrence Ridgle, a near-lifelong resident of Durham, North Carolina, discusses his family's work at the American Tobacco Company and his role of leadership in the newly integrated United States Army during the early 1950s. In addition, he discusses the changing nature of the African American community, focusing on perceived threats to its solidarity, and the impact of demographic changes, primarily the rapidly growing Latino community.Interviewee:Lawrence RidgleInterviewer:Alicia RouverolDuration: 02:13:25
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 7 excerpts.

Gladys Harris, August 8, 1979. Interview H-0124.
Hosiery Mill Worker Describes Life and Work in Gastonia, North Carolina:
Gladys Harris grew up in a farming family during the 1910s and 1920s. In 1940, she went to work as an inspector and as a sewer in Gastonia, North Carolina, hosiery mills. Because her husband was unable to work, Harris was the chief earner for her family. She describes her experiences at work over the course of several decades.Interviewee:Gladys HarrisInterviewer:Patty DilleyDuration: 01:10:01
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 4 excerpts.

Mary Moore, August 17, 2006. Interview U-0193.
Civil and Labor Rights Activist Discusses the Struggle for Equality in Birmingham, Alabama:
Mary Ann Moore was only a high school student when she began participating in civil rights activities in Birmingham, Alabama, in the 1960s. After becoming a laboratory technician at the VA Hospital in Birmingham, Moore followed family tradition by becoming an active member of the union. She discusses her social justice activism in this interview while drawing connections between the civil rights and the labor rights movements of the second half of the twentieth century.Interviewee:Mary MooreInterviewer:Sarah ThuesenDuration: 01:44:22
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 6 excerpts.

150.

Gemma Ziegler, June 22, 2006. Interview U-0181.
A Louisville Nurse Discusses Her Role in Efforts to Organize Nurses:
During the mid-1970s, Gemma Ziegler became a nurse in Louisville, Kentucky, and joined the campaign to organize nurses. In this interview, she discusses her experiences as a nurse; her work as an organizer for We're Involved in Nursing (WIN); her role in the founding of the Nurses Professional Organization (NPO); and the NPO's various activities from the late 1980s into the early twenty-first century.Interviewee:Gemma ZieglerInterviewer:Sarah ThuesenDuration: 01:58:53
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 7 excerpts.

151.

Kay Tillow, June 23, 2006. Interview U-0180.
Labor Activist Discusses Her Work with Local 1199, the Machinists, and the NPO:
Kay Tillow discusses her career as a labor activist, describing her early work in social justice movements of the 1960s and with Local 1199 in Pennsylvania during the 1970s and 1980s. In the late 1980s, Tillow returned to her home state of Kentucky, where she worked closely with the Nurses Professional Organization (NPO) as a representative of the Association of Machinists, who sponsored the NPO in their initial effort to organize Louisville nurses. She continued her work with the NPO towards achieving bargaining power into the early twenty-first century.Interviewee:Kay TillowInterviewer:Sarah ThuesenDuration: 02:03:33
Annotated Excerpts:Listen to and read all 6 excerpts.